looking for a power inverter

just started looking for an ac power converter to take on camping trips. i need one with both the cigar lighter power take off, so that the spawn of my loins can watch DVD's on the way up and be a little quieter, and the battery post clamps so i can use my high amperage (13.5 peak) electric chain saw and all the other toys' battery chargers with out blowing fuses or messing up my wiring while in camp.

anybody have one like this, or any suggestions on where to find one?

An electrician buddy of mine at work says a deep cycle boat battery would work good with an inverter. I'm not very good at such stuff....I'd look for a 12 volt DVD.

yeah, i'm actualy running two deep discharge 6v batteries wired in series for the trolling motor on the canoe and have a solar panel recharger for that.

a 12v DVD player won't work, need to take the lap top along to download pics and vids from the camera. got enough toys without buying something new.

i really don't think a deep discharge battery would make much difference since i'd only use the converter for short periods with the engine running while in camp. don't want to drag a big old noisey generator up with me. not like i'm trying to run a refrigerator and microwave here. hmmm, maybe that's an idea too.

I wonder how big a solar panel you'd need for the electric chainsaw?
Once upon a time, Coleman was going to sell a small fuel cell but stopped.

In order to run that chainsaw, you'll need a inverter capable of 2000 watts continuous use. One that big will have to be hardwired, and won't work right using clips to operate the chainsaw. The price will be about $200. You'd be much better off buying a $100 chainsaw from Wal-mart. And spending $40 for a small invertor for the laptop.

I wonder how big a solar panel you'd need for the electric chainsaw?


It'd take about 50 of these:
http://www.mrsolar.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BSP-40-12&Category_Code=mrsolar&Store_Code=MSOS

Total size of about 14' x 14'. Cost about $15,000.

In order to run that chainsaw, you'll need a inverter capable of 2000 watts continuous use. One that big will have to be hardwired, and won't work right using clips to operate the chainsaw. The price will be about $200. You'd be much better off buying a $100 chainsaw from Wal-mart. And spending $40 for a small invertor for the laptop.


yeah, the inverters all seem to run about 10 cents a watt. according to my math, P=EI, i could get by on a 1500 watt unit which would cost about the same as a gas chainsaw and a cheap power inverter and i could use use it for other tools too. i was just hoping to find one i didn't have to hardwire so i could swap it around in my vehicles easily. i have a battery with top posts in addition to the side mount cables, could i hard wire one there.

i don't run the trolling motor off the solar panel, it's just for trickle charging the batteries between uses to extended the batttery charge.

A 1500 won't be enough. With a load like a chainsaw, the source has to be capable of supplying 125% of the rated load. 13.5amps x 125% = 16.875amps. 16.875 amps x 110 (the voltage that inverter companies base their calculations on) = 1856.25 watts.

Yes, you can use the top post to hard wire it.

A 1500 won't be enough. With a load like a chainsaw, the source has to be capable of supplying 125% of the rated load. 13.5amps x 125% = 16.875amps. 16.875 amps x 110 (the voltage that inverter companies base their calculations on) = 1856.25 watts.

Yes, you can use the top post to hard wire it.

that's the same formula i used. P=ExI. P(power required in watts)=E (energy supplied in voltage) x I (impedance measured in amperage). i didn't use the multiplier because thats already figured into the tools rating and when combined with an addtional multiplier for the resitance in a 100' 14 AWG cord (P=E2/R) that they assume most people use the total muliplier is probably 40 to 50% overated. i use a 50' 10 AWG cord and calculated the actual combined draw to be less than 10 amps but still used the 13 amp rating with out the multiplier.

but all that bull is just for argument, i'll probaly end up getting a 2k watt at least. the difference in cost is small over the life of the item and i can listen to tunes or make ice cream while cutting wood.

my dads got a 400 watt inverter that u can hook up to a cigar lighter, and the battery posts, but they go into much higher watts, and you can get a battery jumpstarter pack to run things off of it, just look for one with high amp/hours so it'll last longer when u have something running off of it, i have one with 9 amp/hours, and that isnt that good, one without maybe around 20 is a better bet.